Wasn't
that long ago when Ty Ross was a bright-eyed freshman whose head was swimming
as he stepped onto the Alex Box Stadium field as LSU's starting catcher without
an ounce of college experience.

Now, the sturdy junior is regarded as one of
the best catchers in the country and has taken on a role as a sage veteran
leader at a position that the Tigers have counted as a major strength for the
last five seasons.

Ross
will be the starter for the third season in a row when No. 3-ranked LSU
launches the 2013 season against Maryland this weekend, and one thing that has always
remained the same with the Florida native is a gregarious approach to the game.

How
important is that this season? Besides aiding Ross as he has emerged as a team
leader, his effervescent personality is also a valuable tool with a young crew
of catchers who will vie for the starting job after this season.

While
Ross' role as the starter is as cut-and-dried as anything as the Tigers begin a
new season with high hopes, part of his responsibility this season is also to
get Tyler Moore, Chris Chinea and Michael Barash ready -- both as his backups
this season if he encounters an injury and as his heir apparent.

Ross
is draft-eligible after this season and is expected to be one of the first
college catchers on most pro teams' wish list.

"I
was thrown right into the fire when I was a freshman, and I feel like I can
help them correct the things I didn't know right out of the gate as far as
slowing the game down and helping the pitchers as much as possible," Ross said.

LSU catcher Ty Ross is one of the more emotional players on the team, which he showed here as he scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning of a 3-2 triumph against Arkansas.Hilary Scheinuk, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

"These
young guys want to step up and show how good they are to the coaches and
sometimes they get overanxious. I had that a lot my freshmen year - trying to
be more than I needed to be. Being able to help them is good for them because I
have the same outlook they did when I was younger."

Make
no mistake, though. As important as Ross' role as a teacher will be, his No. 1
responsibility is to give the Tigers' pitchers a security blanket behind the
plate and more or less remove the running game from the opponent.

Last
season Ross threw out 16 of 29 base runners trying to steal. With a rocket arm
and arguably the best ball-blocking skills of any catcher in the SEC, Ross has
emerged as the Tigers' baseball version of a shutdown cornerback.

"Ross
has just continued to mature and evolve, and quite honestly, I wouldn't trade
him for any defensive catcher in the country," LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. "He's
going to completely shut down other teams' running games. Our guys can't run on
him in practice, and they know how to read our pitchers. As long as our
pitchers give him minimal help in holding runners on, he's going to completely
take that part of the offense away."

While
Ross will understandably get the majority of innings behind the plate, Mainieri
said it's vital that LSU has seasoned catchers ready to play behind Ross.

Last
season Ross missed a key series at the end of the regular season at South
Carolina when he had an emergency appendectomy and was limited at the SEC
Tournament and the early part of the NCAA tournament.

Jordy
Snikeris stepped in as the starter and was serviceable, but he also got hurt
and Moore was thrust into duty and he helped solidify the position until Ross
was healthy enough to return.

Tyler MooreLSUSports.net

Moore
is the clear-cut backup, and Barash arrived in college a semester early and
with a similar skill set to Ross. Chinea might be the best power hitter of the
four, and could get some time at first base and as the designated hitter.

"We
all push each other and that's what we need to do," Ross said. "It helps me to
have three talented young guys pushing me. I always think I can bet better. As long
as I'm playing this game, I want to keep improving and those guys motivate me
to keep doing that."

Where
Ross is also invaluable is in his relationship with the pitching staff.

Chris ChineaLSUSports.net

Michael BarashLSUSports.net

He
came to LSU with Ryan Eades and worked with Aaron Nola last season, so the
Tigers' top two starters are comfortable with him. Besides those two, LSU's
blend of veterans and freshmen should also benefit from his experience -- which includes
100 games as a starter.

"It's
big to me to make whoever it is out there feel as comfortable as possible,"
Ross said. "I can't get too high or too low. I have to maintain that even attitude
because other guys feed off of the catcher, especially the guy on the mound."

Ross
doesn't hesitate that he has ulterior motives for helping the LSU pitchers be
as effective as they can be.

"I
have to do anything I can to work with the pitching staff and help us continue
to get better," he said. "We want to get to Omaha and take a shot at winning
the national championship. That's why every one of us came to LSU."